Mateba's box
by Mateba
Summary: A series of oneshots or short stories that I found in my files featuring kakasaku. First up, Kakashi is ordered to marry and at the same time forbidden from asking the woman he loves to be his wife. A true shinobi, will Kakashi pick duty or love?


**Drabble #1: Duty over Love**

* * *

"Do you agree that Sakura is one of the best kunoichi in the village?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, if not the best."

"Then, Kakashi, you should understand why it would be detrimental for Konoha if she were to marry and have kids."

Kakashi widened his eye at this statement. Yes, he knew that very rarely did Kunoichi marry and have kids, and the ones that did were usually ninja that were of lower skills. Most shinobi married civilians to continue on their lineage, but if you looked at the most successful kunoichi, like Tsunade and Shizune, they were single and not likely to ever become married. Still, Sakura was the kind of woman that would make a great mother and wife, and to be denied that because of her skills seemed somewhat unfair. But beyond that, why was Tsunade telling him this?

"Kakashi," Tsunade said bringing Kakashi out of his stupor. "The council has addressed the subject of the continuation of the Hatake line with you on several occasions. I'm going further this time. There is a kunoichi from Lightening Country that will arrive in Konoha in a month. She is strong and of a good family and will make a good wife for you."

"Nani?!"

"Kakashi, this is for Konoha so consider it a mission. You will marry this girl in 3 months and you will continue the Hatake line."

Tsunade could see the wild disbelief in the lone eye of Kakashi and before he could ask the inevitable question, she continued. "I know you and Sakura are very close and that you harbor feelings for her, but as I've explained she is not a suitable candidate for this job. And-"

"Job? Shouldn't marriage be about love? And shouldn't Sakura have a say on this matter? We are close and she knows me better than anyone else. She might not know about my feelings for her, but if she did and if she felt the same way-"

"Kakashi, the council forbids you from pursuing Sakura and I agree. The meaning of that is clear to you, right?"

Kakashi made his hands into fists and nodded.

"Okay then, please make the preparations for your upcoming nuptial. An engagement party to present your future wife to our ninja community will be held the week after her arrival. She will move in with you after the private wedding and here are the addresses to some two bedroom ninja apartments that are available for immediate move in." Tsunade threw a scroll at Kakashi. "We expect lots of little Hatakes." And with a wave of her hand she dismissed him.

* * *

Sakura sat a table with Ino, TenTen, Neji, Hinata and Naruto. The group was extremely close and took the engagement party of the famous copy nin as an opportunity to catch up with each other.

"Who would have thought, huh?" said Neji while he looked at the couple walking around the tables saying hello to everybody.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei is getting married. I didn't even know he liked girls," replied Naruto with a grin on his face.

"Apparently, only the beautiful ones," added Sakura as she emptied another cup of sake down her throat.

"Yeah, she's very beautiful and father said she comes from one of the most prestigious families in Lightning country," said Hinata looking at the couple that was slowly making their way to their table.

"She's okay if you ask me," replied Ino as she eyed her best friend wearily. Ino had had suspicions about the relationship between Sakura and her former sensei, but once the news of his upcoming wedding broke any doubts disappeared. Sakura was hiding her heartbreak well, but Ino couldn't be fooled. As she saw that Kakashi and Sayura were a couple of tables away from them, she stood up and decided to save her friend. "Hey forehead, escort me to the bathroom, please?" she asked in a rather loud voice.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief internally and grabbed her purse to follow Ino to the ladies restroom. She had been able to avoid Kakashi for the past month through missions and hospital work, and the last thing she needed was to talk to him after so long while _she_ was hanging off his arm. Sakura smiled at her friend while she placed her arm around hers and walked her to the restroom.

"Sakura," whispered Ino in the ladies room. "What do you say we ditch this lame party and head to the bar? I know Genma said he'd be there later today. When he sees that I'm missing, he'll get the hint."

"Ino-pig, you've never had a better idea than this one," replied Sakura with a devilish smile.

Both girls nodded at each other and after a couple of hand signs they had disappeared behind a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Sakura sat at the edge of the waterfall thinking about him. She had succeeded avoiding him for the past month and now they were only 3 weeks away from his wedding. She learned that Sayura was also a medic ninja and that she would now be in charge of any treatment for Kakashi. _How convenient, and yet what a blessing,_ thought Sakura. The casual visits and lunches and dinners also stopped mainly due to her ability to hide her chakra well and remain busy in the hospital and with missions. She was actually not going to be in Konoha for the wedding and she couldn't be happier about that. And yet, she was still so sad. She knew that her feelings for Kakashi were one sided, but a part of her had always hoped that he would someday feel the same way about her and they would be together. That hope was now gone and in three weeks he would be married to another woman, one that was prettier and older and probably more skilled than her. She slumped a bit on her spot and sighed. Well, at least she had no excuse not to move on, now. She had to thank Ino for that.

After they escaped his engagement party the month before, they met up with Genma and Yamato, who was dragged to the bar by Genma. Sakura and Yamato had continued a friendship after the many missions they had together to bring Sasuke back, and it was nice for her to get out and have a good time with someone other than Kakashi. What she didn't expect was Yamato's goodnight kiss. It had been sweet and gentle and very brief, but it told her he liked her, and wanted to be with her, and she had agreed to date him and see where that could go. She definitely needed the distraction, and both had agreed to keep it secret, that is why she was sitting here, in the outskirts of the training forest, waiting for Yamato for their romantic picnic.

"Sakura"

Sakura spun around to face Kakashi, who was now sitting next to her. How did she not feel him approach? Well, she had been distracted thinking about him and-

"I haven't seen you in a while."

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and smiled weakly. "Yeah, been busy, but so have you."

"Yeah." Silence ensued for a minute. "I never got to see you at the party."

Sakura chuckled, "You had a lot of guests, Kakashi."

"I would have thought you would have waited and talked to me, since like you said we have been busy and we were finally in the same room together."

Sakura bit her lip. "Well, in my defense I got removed from the party."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Removed?"

"Yes, by Ino. You see, she was going through something and she needed me. You were doing just fine, so you can understand how I had to be there for her."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. "Can we cut to the chase now, Sakura?"

Sakura looked at Kakashi with surprised eyes. Before she could reply, he spoke.

"I was going to tell you about her myself, since you are my closest friend and all. But you were away on a mission and when you returned I was out on mine. By the time I made it back to Konoha you had already heard and you have been avoiding me ever since."

Sakura just sat there hoping that Yamato would get there soon. Kakashi continued.

"I wanted to talk to you, to tell you that I don't love her, Sakura. This is something that the council has ordered me to do, and they arranged all of this and when I tried to argue that I should ask the woman that I love to be my wife, they forbid me that."

Sakura felt her chest tightened at his words and her whole body felt tense and nervous. Who did he love? And why was he forbidden to pursue who he wanted. "Forbid? Why?"

Kakashi chuckled darkly, "Because she is so good that it would be detrimental for Konoha for her to marry." Kakashi turned to her, his eye full of emotion and sadness.

"But it is because she is so great that I fell for her and I wanted to tell you that before I get married."

Sakura was now hoping that Yamato would not get there at all. She was having a hard time breathing and saying what she wanted to say next. "Why tell me?"

Kakashi raised his hand to her cheek and his thumb started caressing her. Sakura felt like she was going to cry. "Because you are my best friend and you are the woman that I love."

They both sat in silence, looking into each other's eyes, saying so much without any words and very slowly gravitating closer together. Just when they were about to kiss, Kakashi backed away from her and stood quickly. Sakura was a bit confused but then Yamato appeared by their side.

"Oh hi, Kakashi-senpai."

"Yo!" replied Kakashi with his two finger salute.

Yamato turned to Sakura. "Sorry I'm late," he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I got caught up with Sai…you know how he gets." He turned back to Kakashi. "Were you looking for me or Sakura, Kakashi-senpai?"

Kakashi was still taken aback by what was happening in front of him. When he found Sakura, he thought that she was out in the middle of nowhere thinking about him. Or at least that is what he hoped. Now, however, he could see that she was meeting Yamato here and from their kiss it was obvious they were dating. But how long? And why didn't she say anything to him?

"I was looking for Sakura, but I already spoke to her, so-"

"Yamato, I have to finish my conversation with Kakashi. Why don't you set up for lunch and I'll be right back." Sakura started walking towards the forest nodding her head to Kakashi as a signal to follow her.

Yamato looked at both a bit confused but did as he was told. He knew that Sakura and Kakashi were close, and that Kakashi was getting married in three weeks, so he imagined that Kakashi was asking her for advice with women.

Kakashi followed Sakura quietly, his mind debating whether to be mad at her for dating someone else or relieved that she was happy. But was she happy? And why did she almost kiss him? He definitely felt more angry than anything else. Well, angry and jealous.

"Kakashi," said Sakura in a whisper. She had stopped walking and her back was to him. "If you must know, I love you too. I have for a while now, but you _are_ getting married in three weeks and that's that. You have to understand why I need to move on."

Kakashi felt his heart clench, his thoughts still bothering him. "How long have you been seeing Yamato?"

"Since your party."

Kakashi sighed. He could understand how hard that day might have been for Sakura considering how he felt walking around with Sayura in his arm and watching Sakura the whole time thinking of how much he wanted it to be her with him instead of the woman he had been ordered to marry.

"Sakura…"

Sakura turned around, tears running down her cheeks. "What is left to say, huh?"

Kakashi closed the distance between them and pulled his mask down quickly to kiss her. And boy, he kissed her…with all the feelings and emotions that he had kept hidden for so long, with all the desire and need that he had for her, with all the sadness and pain knowing it would be the only time he got to taste her. Sakura, in turn, kissed him back with equal passion and fervor. She loved this man, but she was not going to have him and if all she got was this kiss, then she would make the most out of it.

Their kiss was long and arduous, taking only quick brakes to breathe and then back at it again. Soon, her back was pinned between a tree and his body that fit so perfectly against her. His hands roamed her whole body as he continued to kiss her eagerly, putting into memory everything that she was and everything that he wanted. Sakura finally broke the kiss knowing that Yamato was still waiting for her.

"Sakura…" Kakashi said huskily, his breath ragged from the rough kissing.

"Kakashi, why can't we be together? This is so unfair!" whispered Sakura recuperating herself from the passionate encounter.

"I know"

Sakura sighed. "I need to go back to Yamato," she said quietly as she stepped away from Kakashi and turned around. A hand stopped her from moving. Sakura looked up into Kakashi's eye, something there could be seen that she hadn't seen in him before.

"I can't…I can't let you go to him."

"What?"

"I can't let you be with anybody else, Sakura."

Sakura looked at him puzzled. "What-"

"Are you sure you want to be with me, Sakura?"

Sakura didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Forever?"

"Yes."

"Then elope with me."

"What?!"

"What are Tsunade and the council going to do if I'm already married, huh?"

Sakura looked at Kakashi's eye, a glimmer of hope and happiness in it. She bit her lip thinking for a while, and then smiled. "There is only one person other than the Hokage who can marry us, Kakashi."

Kakashi smiled back at her, his mask still down and his dimples showing. "I know."

* * *

**A/N: ** Not sure if I ever published this one before since I couldn't find a continuation to it. That is why I'm publishing these drabbles and I might make a chapter 2 for this one if you guys want. Just because I remember clearly where I wanted this one to go :)


End file.
